Lifebuoy Case Study

2012 Bronze Effie Winner
Superfast Handwash
Category: Global Brand/Client: Lifebuoy / Unilever Asia Private Limited Lead Agency: Lowe Lintas and Partners
Markets
Country 1* India Country 2 * Saudi Arabia Country 3 Argentina Country 4 Pakistan Dates
May 2010 to August 2011
July 2010 October 2011
July 2010 October 2011
September 2010 to October 2011
Total number of countries in which the case ran or is currently running: 12 Total number of regions in which the case ran or is currently running: 3 regions. All except North America and Europe
*Must be among the top five countries for your case in terms of overall media spend
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Criteria used to determine top four markets

We chose countries that were crucial to our survival in the handwash market and where we fought the toughest battle for market share. The four markets that we chose were the most significant to us because of the size of opportunity that they presented and if we did not fire in these markets then globally our investment behind the liquid handwash format would not be viable. Two specific criteria determined our choice of these markets 1) Size of the pie and competitive pressure.
India: The largest, in value terms, amongst all the markets that we operate in. While Lifebuoy was an established brand in India in bar soaps, our competitor owned more than half the market in the liquid handwash category. Arabia: The largest market in the middle-east. Characterized by a dominant competitor who was growing even larger. Pakistan: The second largest market in the Indian subcontinent and one where two strong competitors play in. 2) Acceptance concerns and efficacy credentials of the brand
India, Arabia and Pakistan Imagery and acceptance: Lifebuoy Handwash, being a high priced product, was expected to appeal to higher income groups, which was a tough task, due to the brands heritage in bar soaps and popu larity mostly amongst lower LSMs. Skepticism on Efficacy: Efficacy holds great importance in this category and competition had an established antibacterial liquid that had been a household name for years. Lifebuoy, while strong on efficacy, did not enjoy a similar high ground. Argentina: Lack of acceptance of antibacterial as a category The Argentinian market had just recovered from swine flu where public messaging exhorted people to wash with soap and did not specify anti-bacterial soap. Hence there was a great deal of questioning on the necessity of an anti-bacterial soap. Argentina would also serve as a useful learning experience for launching in more developed markets like Europe due to the similarity of consumer attitudes towards the cleansing category.
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Strategic Challenge
In most of its key markets, our competitor held a strong place in households for generations, due to other formats such as the Antiseptic Liquid that was seen as an all powerful antibacterial solution. Over time, it had established itself in the germ kill domain by owning many relevant contexts (long lasting protection, protection through all seasons etc.) in many formats (from floor & surface cleaners to soaps to hand sanitizers) and done this by establishing their efficacy in killing the maximum germs. In markets like Pakistan, India and Saudi Arabia, Lifebuoy needed to step up its imagery. In addition, it was a relatively new entrant to the liquid hand wash category. It did not seem an intuitive choice as a brand for a premium offering, like liquid Handwash and to take on a dominant player. We wanted to target higher income mothers who were potential Handwash users and convince them to use Lifebuoy Handwash for their families. These mothers had kids aged between 4-12 years and were using competitive brands. When it came to protection she was clear that her family deserved the best and was not willing to compromise on it. While this ensured she used the best that there was, it also left an opportunity for us to get a toehold in. If we could convince her that we were better, then she would be open to using Lifebuoy as her purchase criteria was not led by brand as much as it was led by efficacy and the capability to provide the best protection. Thus, the marketing challenge for Lifebuoy was to make up for lost time and grow rapidly in the liquid handwash market despite its imagery and the significant headstart that the competitor had.
Objectives
Business Objective: #1: Grow sales volume and value faster than category to grow market share.
This would be measured through independent sales tracking that the client commissioned through a retail audit agency.
#2: Steal share from the Competition.

The same retail audit would track both Lifebuoy and competitive shares.
Perceptual: #3: Increase preference for Lifebuoy amongst higher income segments (defined by LSM and SEC)*
This would be tracked by a Consumer Household Panel (June 2010 2011) that the client commissioned
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through a retail audit agency

*LSM = Living Standards Measure. A method of market segmentation that is indicative of the lifestyle of the consumer, which are grouped basis income and consumer durable ownership. LSM starts from 0 (being the lowest) and goes up to LSM 19 (being the most affluent). *SEC = Socio Economic Classification
#4: Establish the Lifebuoy Proposition as unique and differentiated from Competition.
This would be done using a quantitative research (called post view) among consumers after the communication ran for at least a month to measure recall of messaging.
Insight
Given our objectives, our starting point was to tackle the key competitor, which was seen as the pinnacle of efficacy. Filled with the bravado of some lab testing results on our new product, we rushed into researching concepts that claimed we were significantly better than the competitor on germ kill We could kill even more germs. This was backed up by lots of figures and charts with almost enough proof for a Nobel Prize submission in chemistry. The consumers threw it out. Without batting an eyelid. They said this was unbelievable. Proof or no proof, they were unwilling to budge. Thats when we realized that beating the competitor at his own game by going headlong against him would not work. We needed to think smarter. In the same test that showed us better than the competitor, there was another parameter that excited the R&D scientists. We could kill germs faster than him. In fact we could protect hands from germs in 10 seconds while all other handwashes took one minute to do so! This was exciting but we did not want to make the same mistake as before of just using facts and figures. Rather than go in with just the claim, (What good is a faster handwash anyway?) we looked extensively for a consumer angle to frame the whole thing. It was while observing childrens habits that we hit a gold mine! Universally, children are always in a rush or lazy while doing things they dont particularly enjoy (eg. eating, doing their homework etc.). When it comes to hand-washing, it is no different. For kids, it is an unnecessary chore that they do as quickly as possible as they just want to be done with it. So regardless of how many germs anyone claimed to kill, it would all be rendered useless by the habits of children to wash in a hurry. The campaign titled Superfast Handwash used the underlying insight on childrens behavior to not only make germ protection in just 10 seconds new and relevant for Lifebuoy but also to
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render competitions high ground on germ protection very vulnerable. Thus the double blow of a new parameter of time combined with the lens of childrens habits, managed to dislodge our big competitor as the last word in germ protection in consumers minds.
The Big Idea

Lifebuoy Superfast Handwash: 99.9% germ protection in just 10 seconds because children are always in a hurry, especially when it comes to hand-washing.
Bringing the Idea to Life

Our insight was a powerful one that resonated with young mothers across the world. All mothers identified with the fact that kids are in a hurry, especially for tasks that they consider chores and washing hands definitely made it to that list. We had two creative responses to the brief due to varying conditions across markets. Both came from the same brief and both brought alive the same proposition of Superfast Handwash . Our foremost task was to displace competition , especially in countries where it had majority share, for instance, India (50%+ share), Saudi Arabia and Pakistan (20%+ share). In these countries, Lifebuoy had a presence in other formats and was a trusted albeit less premium brand. Therefore we could at least refer to the competition in the communication. The creative idea resulted from turning the proposition on its head, by labeling the other soaps slow'. We did this by using an atypical child, a mamas boy, who does everything he is told, including washing hands for one whole minute (subtly implying the competition). We established ourselves as the normal kids ally so that children could be now be themselves and yet get complete germ protection - with Lifebuoys Superfast Handwash. While we believed we had hit the nail on the head for these countries, there was Argentina which presented a challenge. Apart from the fact that we were a new entrant in a country that wasnt very receptive towards antibacterial soaps, there was a cultural issue. The slow soap communication seemed to remind them of racial and bullying issues which were a sensitive matter for the people of the country. We had to have a Plan B that was as hard-hitting as this one. To tackle this, we developed another powerful creative idea, a direct translation of the insight, which replicated a cute child running through all the chores at home (like drinking milk, washing hands), and not paying heed to the instructions of his worried mother. In this case, Lifebuoy handwash presented itself as the mothers ally, assuring her of complete germ protection for her child, despite
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his hurried behavior. And its great for the kids too, as they get to live life as they ideally would, well at least when it comes to washing hands. For the media plan, we followed conventional FMCG logic to gain maximum reach: to create an relevant commercial and put our bets on Television. It suited Lifebuoy well as we aimed to target urban and semi- urban mothers in those countries and TV, being a mass medium, would be most effective to do that. Knowing that children pick up habits from TV easily, we placed the communication in kids channels. We also created catch phrases for each execution: Is your soap slow for slow soap commercial and Superfast handwash for Argentina commercial.
Communications Touch Points

Consumer Touch Points
TV (Spots, branded content, sponsorship on TV, product placement) Radio (Spots, merchandizing, program/content) Print (Trade/professional, newspaper, consumer magazine, print partnership) Online Print (e.g. online ads in a print publications online entity). Direct (Mail, Email) Interactive (Online ads, web site, viral video, video skins/bugs, social networking sites, podcasts, gaming, mobile phone) OOH (Airport, transit, billboard, place-based) PR Guerrilla (Street teams, tagging, wraps, buzz , ambient media, sampling/trial) Retail Experience (POP, video, in-store, sales promotion, retailtainment) Events Packaging Product Design Consumer Involvement (WOM, consumer-generated, viral) Cinema Trade Shows Sponsorship Other - write in the following column
India
TV Spots
Saudi Arabia
TV Spots
Argentina
TV Spots
Pakistan
TV Spots
Media Expenditures
Confidential
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Additional Marketing Components:

Marketing Components None Pricing Changes Couponing Leveraging Distribution Other - write India None Saudi Arabia None Argentina None Pakistan None
Reach:
in following column
Argentina, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Australia
Results
How do you know it worked?
Mapping the results to our objective shows the effectiveness of the campaign: Objective #1: Grow sales volume and value faster than category to grow market share
In both years, Lifebuoy grew faster than the category both in value and volume across markets
Lifebuoy beat the category growth significantly in both, volume and value terms, in 2010 and 2011.
Data for 2009 is unavailable for Pakistan and Argentina
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Category Data was not available in Pakistan for 2009 as it was not subscribed to by Unilever since there was no Unilever Handwash Brand in the market then. Similarly, in Argentina 2009 data was not subscribed to. *Argentina: The Volume and Value category data is representative of the entire liquids category (i.e. bodywash and handwash ) as only handwash as a category was not tracked for the region. Please also note that the Argentina data is YTD 2011 (October) while the other countries are MAT (October) 2011 .
Data for 2009 is unavailable for Pakistan and Argentina
Even though the Argentina category data is representative of bodywash and handwash, the percent change of Lifebuoy Handwash is far greater than both categories.
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Dettol (Espadol) Handwash figures from the same data show a close-to-nil (0.83%) growth in volume and 10.96% growth in Value terms (compared to 398% growth for Lifebuoy).
Source: Client Internal figures based on retail audit by AC Nielson
Objective #2: Steal share from Competition
Source: Client Internal figures based on retail audit by AC Nielson
Clearly in all the four markets, we are growing significantly faster than the competition. In Saudi Arabia while the key competitor is growing too, we are growing faster, despite being a late entrant.
*Argentina: The market share data is an average of 12 months starting November 2010 uptil October 2011 as the launch was in July 2010 and data is only available from October 2010; all other countries are MAT October 2011
Perceptual: Objective #3: Improve preference for Lifebuoy amongst higher income segments Handwash is a premium product offering that targets higher income groups (LSMs and SECs). In countries like India, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, it was a challenge to convince higher income groups to bring a Lifebuoy product into their homes.
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However, after airing the Superfast Handwash communication, the sales of Lifebuoy showed an increase in value across countries. And these share gains did come from the higher (than bar) income groups. LSM profiling of bar and handwash consumers of Lifebuoy showed a significant difference in the income groups, with handwash clearly being bought by the higher LSM in India, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Confidential Data Thus, with the Superfast Handwash campaign we managed gain entry into affluent households and establish Lifebuoy as a premium offering. Objective # 4: Establish the Lifebuoy Proposition as unique and differentiated from Competition
INDIA The message of Germ Protection in 10 seconds was picked up by 88% of consumers, and 80% believed that Lifebuoy Handwash was faster than other soaps in killing germs!
Q3 10 Lifebuoy handwash is faster than soaps in killing germs Lifebuoy handwash takes 10 seconds to kill germs
ARGENTINA The new Lifebuoy soap eliminates 99,9% of the germs in only 10 seconds
JUL 2010 74 90 78 88
AUG 2010 80 88
SEP 2010
77 88
Main Impressions % 27
Total Impression % 58
Country Average of Total Impressions % 49

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Source: Millward Brown, NB: green indicates significant increase vs. country average
In Argentina, the communication has scored above the country average in landing the main point of the ad The new Lifebuoy soap eliminates 99.9% of the germs in only 10 seconds. It also scores significantly above the country average in being different from other ads in the category. This research was not conducted in other markets. However looking at the results in other markets with Lifebuoy outperforming competition comprehensively, it would be a valid assumption that the communication has helped differentiate Lifebuoy sufficiently.
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Anything else going on that might have helped drive results?

A leading chain of supermarkets in India - Big Bazaar, had locked out the key competitor between April and May 2011. This may have added to increased sales for Lifebuoy during these months. However, the sustained growth throughout 2010/2011 has shown that the campaign was the primary driver of success in India. No other factors such as price, distribution, or competitor media spend are deemed to have influenced results.
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Lifebuoy Case Study

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Lifebuoy Case Study

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2012 Bronze Effie Winner

July 2010 October 2011

July 2010 October 2011

September 2010 to October 2011

Criteria used to determine top four markets

#2: Steal share from the Competition.

through a retail audit agency

The Big Idea

Bringing the Idea to Life

Communications Touch Points

Additional Marketing Components:

Data for 2009 is unavailable for Pakistan and Argentina

Data for 2009 is unavailable for Pakistan and Argentina

Objective #2: Steal share from Competition

Source: Client Internal figures based on retail audit by AC Nielson

Country Average of Total Impressions % 49

Anything else going on that might have helped drive results?

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